Customer Reviews

The French Mistress: A Novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth and King Charles II

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Holloway Scott makes a valiant effort to rehabilitate one of the most reviled courtesans of Charles II of England's Restoration court. An innocent when first sent to the French court of Louis XIV, Louise de Keroualle cuts her teeth on political intrigue as lady-in-waiting to Charles' sister, Henriette-Anne, wife of the cruel Duc d' Orleans. Louise becomes an integral part of a critical intrigue of the era: a secret treaty between France and England. Louise styles herself "the secret cause of the secret treaty". Adept at adjusting to political expedience and personal aggrandizement, de Keroualle bears witness to the indignities suffered by her mistress, developing an attachment to King Charles from afar. After the duchess d'Orleans' tragic- and suspicious- death, Louise is sent by the French monarch to Charles's court, there to insinuate herself into his life and serve as a vital link between the two kings.

Holloway Scott introduces her protagonist as a young, impressionable girl, loyal to her mistress and shocked by the debauchery of the French court, rivaled only by Charles' hedonistic court in an age of libertines, political opportunists and extravagant spending. Her first lesson: trust no one but yourself. From a penniless lady-in-waiting to the intimate of kings, Louise propels herself through beauty, wit and guile into a position that is virtually unassailable, one of the randy Restoration king's most beloved paramours until his death, when she is credited with guiding him back to the True Religion, Louis's most fond aspiration. De Keroualle is nothing if not inventive, her beauty guaranteeing interest, then a gradual seduction and legitimate love affair with the king even though the sophisticated Charles realizes Louise is an agent of the French monarch: "Now I will grant that innocence is relative and mine was worn and tattered indeed."

The most compelling aspect of this fictional recreation is the kabuki theater enacted by two kings whose secret treaty pours much-needed funds into English coffers. Certainly, Louise benefits from the secret payments, secure in her exquisite rooms as England reels with an impending war with the Dutch and Parliament determines to keep their king Protestant in spite of his fascination with all things French. Outliving her beloved by fifty years, the intrepid de Keroualle fulfills a long-ago prophecy, "prized by two kings, a duchess in my own right and mother to a duke". Yet for all her cleverness, the acquisitive Louise fails to spark this reader's imagination in contrast to the king's other notable paramours, lacking the voluptuous passion of the fertile Barbara Castlemaine or the bawdy humor of stage actress Nell Gwyn. Surrounded by powerful men, liaison between kings, Louise de Keroualle teases, manipulates and instigates, victim of a plot to defame her, yet firmly entrenched in the affections of the charismatic, hedonistic Charles Stuart. Luan Gaines/ 2009.

The French Mistress is the story of Louise de Keroualle, beloved paramour to King Charles II of England.

Louise's journey to prominence begins at the court of King Louise XIV where she was sent to serve as Maid of Honor to his sister-in-law, the Duchess d'Orleans. Henrietta, or as she was known at court, Madame, is also sister to the king of England, Charles II. Louise and Madame form a strong friendship over time and Madame comes to depend on Louise almost exclusively.

When Madame travels to England and Louise is of her party, she and Charles meet for the first time. They are infatuated with each other immediately. Really, Louise had already fallen in love with Charles through stories told to her by Madame of his kindness, mercy and honor. Henrietta, or Minette, and Charles have a singularly close relationship, quite an extraordinary thing for Royal siblings. Indeed, it is my belief that the strong bond that was to form a little later between Charles and Louise is strongly based on their equal love and affection of Henrietta.

After Madame mysteriously falls ill and passes away, Louise's future is uncertain and she is left to await her fate. Louise XIV and his councilors, aware of the monarch's affection for Louise, commission her to join Charles II's court with the purpose of becoming his mistress, getting close to him and then pass on vital information to France. Louise readily agrees, but has an agenda of her own.

Nell Gwyn and Barbara Palmer (Lady Castlemaine) are the principal mistresses at the time of Louise's arrival and although they don't pose much threat, at least one of them benefits from mocking and ridiculing her mannerisms. Being that Louise is French (mortal enemies of Englishmen since forever) and a Roman Catholic in a Protestant country still hostile towards anyone of the Old Religion, she is not what you would call popular. Nor does she care. Louise is there to love her man and to reap the benefits of that relationship. I'd say she does a good job: when all is said and done, Louise does walk away with more honors than Nell and Barbara combined. With all of these gorgeous women fighting for his time, you can see why Charles II was nicknamed the "Merry Monarch"!

I very much enjoyed Ms. Scott's portrayal of Louise and style of writing in general. The way she wrote Louise put me in mind of Jean Plaidy in regards to painting the heroine as authentically as possible, letting the reader form their own opinion. I can imagine the difficulty in that - what writer wouldn't want a perfect heroine and what writer doesn't form their own opinion over time of said heroine?

The French Mistress is highly recommended by yours truly and you know I would never steer you wrong! Susan Holloway Scott writes one fantastic author, Louise is a fascinating heroine and Charles is as charming as ever, you'll see why the ladies loved him!

Now I am off to get my hands on Susan's other novels - The King's Favorite (A Novel of Charles II and Nell Gwyn) and Royal Harlot (A Novel of the Countess of Castlemaine and Charles II).

A big thanks to NAL/Penguin and Susan Holloway Scott for providing me with hours of reading pleasure!

Having just finished "The King's Favorite," I was very impressed with Ms. Scott's writing style and dedication to historical accuracy. She endeared Nell Gwyn to me even more than before, and I was absolutely lost in that book from start to finish. I dove straight into The "French Mistress" hoping for the same effect, but I was somewhat disappointed. I will grant that the Duchess of Portsmouth is usually not among my favorite historical characters, but Karleen Koen's "Dark Angels" had softened me towards her. Not the case with "The French Mistress." If Ms. Scott was trying to make me sympathetic towards this usually vilified mistress of Charles II, she failed. Even in the very beginning when Louise is a fresh country innocent, she seemed a little too wrapped up with herself and what her devotion to her mistress could do for her to be convincingly sweet and naive. Almost immediately after her first visit to England Louise seemed to become extremely calculating and manipulative -which in all fairness she probably would have had to have been to survive- but it was very off-putting. Aside from crying over every little thing (which she was notorious for), she seemed to be constantly puffing and preening about her beauty, her skills as a hostess, her living quarters, her wardrobe, her jewels, her perceived influence over Charles, Queen Catherine's fondness for her- it just went on and on. Every little interaction she had with Charles seemed planned out to put her at the best advantage- eventually I was questioning whether she really loved him as much as she was constantly claiming she did. Everything Louise did, in her eyes, was just wonderful and brilliant, and of course all of those others who felt otherwise were of no importance and beneath her notice because she was a French Lady and more beautiful and clever than them and the king loved her. He LOVES her, okay? Because she is WONDERFUL. Period! Not the sort of person you'd like to be around or talk to in real life, and not the sort of person you'd want to spend a whole novel reading about, either. It was so bad at one point I caught myself actively looking forward to her bout with the pox, hoping to see her get taken down a few notches. Not a good sign, granted Louise managed to gloss over that little episode quickly enough and in a matter of paragraphs she was right back up there being wonderful again, at least until Hortense Mancini (who despite being a great beauty of her time, Louise describes as rough and mannish) shows up. Charles was also becoming tedious to me, the poster boy for the petty cheating boyfriend rather than a dashing, romantic, roguish Libertine women would fall all over themselves for (King or not), at points using exact quotes he'd used on Nell in reverse and trash-talking his other mistress to keep Louise happy, etc. Towards the end the telling of historical points of significance were more like reading a text book or hearing a lecture than a novel (particularly because they did not seem to pertain even indirectly to Louise at all), and I found myself skipping paragraphs and pages trying to get back into the story end of it (this could also be because I've read about Charles' reign many, many times and most of these points are old news to me). I think my reception of this book and heroine might have been warmer and more generous had I not just read "The King's Favorite," and to that point I will wait a while and perhaps read it again sometime when I've taken a break from the Restoration period.

Those who like historical fiction will enjoy this book about a lesser known mistress of King Charles II of England, Louise de Keroualle, the Duchess of Portsmouth. Reviled in her day by the English for being French, as well as Catholic, Louise began life as the daughter of an impoverished French nobleman.

Growing up in her family's crumbling chateau in the French countryside, her life changed when her family secured her a place in the sophisticated court of the French king, Louis XIV. There, she was ensconced as a maid of honor to the wife of the decadent notorious Duc D'Orleans, brother of the French King. The Duc's wife was none other than the sister of the English King, Charles II.

When circumstances had Louise and King Charles II meet, he quickly became smitten with her and she is with him. When fortune threw them together after the suspicious and premature death of his sister, Louise not only acted in the interests of France, she acted in her own interests. Though Louise was sent to England by the French King to ensnare the heart of the English King and spy for France, Louise and Charles would begin an enduring relationship that was to last until his death.

The story of these lovers is told by the author in a straightforward way, using a first person narrative. Well-written and steeped in period detail and intrigues, the story of Louise Keroualle is that of a woman who was determined to make the most of her situation and in the process found love, wealth, and a place in history.

Although I don't devour as many historical novels as I did say, a decade ago, they still make up the majority of my fiction reading. And sadly, I haven't found that many new authors who capture my attention very much any more. One of the exceptions has been Susan Holloway Scott who has been writing novelized histories of prominent women in Stuart England, especially the mistresses of England's "Merrie Monarch," Charles II.

When we first meet Louise de Keroualle, she is a pretty, if rather naive teenager, going to Paris to join the courtiers that buzz around Louis XIV, the Sun-King. Her family may be honourable and noble, but they are also impoverished, and it's going to be up to Louise to improve the family fortunes by marrying well if she can. Filled with dreams of marrying for love, and a dazzling future for herself, Louise quickly discovers that love is a very rare commodity when she joins the circle of ladies-in-waiting around the king's sister-in-law, Madame.

Madame, born Henriette-Anne, and a princess of England, is beautiful, but frail, enduring the miseries of being married to a man that loathes her, and is jealous of her beauty and charm. Monsieur, Louis XIV's younger brother, is sharp-tongued, spiteful and not afraid to parade his collection of male lovers in front of his wife, who endures it all with stoic forbearance as her continual pregnancies sap her strength. Despite her own troubles, Madame is struck by Louise's innocence and honest ways, and a friendship grows between the two. When Madame returns to England, supposedly for a family reunion, Louise is one of the ladies selected to go with her.

When Louise meets Charles II, King of England, she's already smitten -- after all, she has heard all about him from Madame, and her young mind hasn't quite lost that yearning for to fall head over heels for someone. And the king, no stranger at all to amourous encounters, finds in Louise someone different than his usual bedmates. Louise is refined and cultured, with the dignity of a nobly born woman, and while the pair flirt, they never quite consummate the desire between them. When Madame and Louise return to France, Louise hopes that one day she'll meet the king again.

But fate has another plan in mind -- Madame returns to the hateful marriage with Monsieur, and not long afterwards she dies of a painful and mysterious ailment. Everyone is whispering poison, and Louise is finding herself at the prospect of being on her own again. But it seems that Louis XIV has her in mind, and returns her to England, presumably to bear condolences on the death of Madame, but also well aware of the English King's attraction to Louise. Louise is to be the French unofficial ambassador to Charles II, to whisper offers of assistance and much needed gold as well as reporting back to the French on any useful information. And suddenly, Louise is in the middle of a very dangerous game indeed...

Ms. Scott's novel sheds a fine insight into the period known as the English Restoration, where the English returned to a monarchy after a brief flirtation with a republican system. The Charles II that is shown here is a melancholy man, after nearly ten years on the throne. His Portuguese Queen is barren, and there is still unrest in his kingdom over religion. For comfort he turns to his wide array of women, and in this novel we get to see a brief appearance by Lady Castlemaine, the rapacious Barbara Villiers, and a fuller portrait of the lowborn Nell Gwyn, who senses a formidable rival with Louise and refers to her in ways that are particularly cruel. And Louise in turn learns that life at Court, despite the finery and opportunity for riches, can be a very lonely place.

This was one aspect of the novel that I enjoyed very much. Ms. Scott does not fall into the trap of having her heroine stay a flitterwit throughout the book. Louise, despite all of her naiveté at the start, manages to learn from the hard lessons about true friendship, betrayal, and always being an outsider. Louise grows in the story, and by the end has matured and accepted her role in the King's life. Along the way, we're treated to some tidbits about the life of a king, the ribald nature of his court, a look at seventeenth century spycraft, and the little details to daily living that add much needed colour to the story.

While the pace does slow at times, with much too introspection on Louise's part about giving up her virginity to the king -- one of the factors that caused me to give this one only a four star rating -- the story does move at a reasonable clip. As well as the story, there is an author's note explaining some of the twists in the story at the end, along with a list of questions for a readers' group.

Summing up, this was a fine book to while away a weekend, and it's a good bet that I will pick up Ms. Scott's next novel, about another of King Charles' mistresses.

Four stars overall. Recommended.

I received this as a gift. I don't read a lot of historical fiction, and I'd never read this author before. And, as a non-history buff a tale around a slice of European history in the 1670s wouldn't probably have been my first choice.

However, this book swept me into the past with a thoroughly engaging tale and the fascinating lives it recounts. Perhaps if you're more familiar with King Charles II. King Louis of France, their courts, their exploits and the France/England dynamics of the time, you won't find it quite the revelation I did. Even then, however, I still think anyone who likes a true love story will enjoy how Scott's breathes life into a woman vilified in history and turns her into a complex, empathetic character.

Despite apparently being a part of a series of books focused on key mistresses of Charles, it read perfectly as a stand alone, though I am still looking forward to reading the others.

Susan Holloway Scott is another author whose works I have become addicted to recently. The period that covers the reign of King Charles II (1630-1685) has only recently become interesting to me. For some reason the Jacobite era - and that of King Charles I have not yet found interest in my reading choices. King Charles II, however, seems like he was a very interesting fellow - albeit a notorious womanizer who kept so many mistresses that I can't imagine how he didn't lose count! The author has written a series of fascinating books that recount the stories of some of Charles' most famous mistresses. This one is a bout Louise de Keroualle, daughter of an impoverished French nobleman, who leaves her family's crumbling chateau to enter the service of Madame D'Orleans (sister of King Charles II) wife to King Louis' sadistic, cruel brother the Duc D'Orleans. Louise learns much of value at the French Court but her fresh, youthful beauty goes largely un-noticed in the lascivious court of King Louis XIV.

Louise remain largely alone until her mistress is allowed to visit her brother, King Charles, in England. The English Court impresses Louise as being very different than the French Court, much more relaxed and less formal. During their stay in England Louise forms an admiration and crush on King Charles. Upon their return to France her mistress dies unexpectedly from what is largely believed to have been a poisoning. Louise is suddenly cut adrift - not knowing where she will next be able to find a position. She cannot go home without having completed her task of securing an auspicious and wealthy marriage. Most of Madame's other maids-of-honor have already returned to their country homes - or have been taken in elsewhere. Louise waits.

Ultimately it Louis that decides to send Louise to the English Court as a spy and it does not take long for her to be noticed by his Majesty, King Charles. The book recounts the story of their love, how Louise rises to become Charles' maîtresse en titre (favorite mistress), how she has a son by Charles - with Charles ultimately ennobling both mother and child. Louise becomes the Duchess of Portsmouth and her son Charles, among other titles, become the Duke of Richmond. The book also chronicles the political tensions of this era. Louise is scorned because she is both French and a Catholic. She considers returning to France but can;t leave "her Charles". Upon Charles death at only 54 and his death left Louise de Keroualle utterly devastated. Ultimately she does return to France and lives out her life for another 50 years after the death of "her Charles". She never marries.

Charles left no legitimate heirs to his throne since his wife, the suffering and very patient Catherine of Braganza, was unable to have children . He did acknowledge a dozen children by his mistresses however. Five by Barbara Villiers (Lady Castlemaine) and his son by Louise deKeroualle (Duchess of Portsmouth). In fact, an interesting tidbit of information is that Princess Diana was descended from one of Charles illegitimate sons and, in the event Price William inherits the British Throne he will be the first monarch to be directly descended from King Charles II

As you may be able to tell. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am searching out more of Susan Scott Holloway's very entertaining and enlightening book to add to my reading collection !!

Upon completion of this book, I have now read all of Ms. Scott's historical fiction novels. I had been putting this particular one off for a couple reasons...One: I knew once I finished this, I'd have to wait impatiently for Ms. Scott to release her future novels like everyone else, and Two: Louise has always been my least favorite mistress of Charles II. I'll admit, I knew almost nothing about her save for what I read in other novels (including Ms. Scott's three previous historical fictions), and almost everything said about her was always negative. I figured I'd give this book a go, but that my opinion of Louise wasn't likely to change.

Well, once again, in her telling of a vilified woman of history, Ms. Scott has managed to paint a very real and human picture of Louise de Keroualle. She did this with Barbara Villiers as well. A woman who was so disliked in her time, and thought of as nothing more than a money hungry whore...I managed to finish that book thinking much better of Barbara, just as I now do of Louise.

I absolutely recommend this if you're a fan of this time period. I started reading everything I could about the Tudors, but then decided I needed to get out of Henry's court for awhile, in into someone elses. That's how I found Susan Holloway Scott. She has opened up a whole new court and King to me, and I'm very grateful. Her ability to tell a fascinating story is remarkable. I truly believe her version of the women she writes about are as close as one can get to knowing them in person. While Nell Gwyn will always be my favorite of the Kings Mistresses, I'm glad I know the story of Louise de Keroualle. She wasn't just some French hussy who was despised by the English...she was a young girl of privilege who came of age in the French court while serving Charles sister, the Duchess of Orleans. She caught the eye of the English King, and after the heartbreaking loss of her Madame, was able to faithfully serve Charles for the remainder of his life. She was a very formal, and tender woman who gave Charles a welcoming respite from the headaches of running a country. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and can't wait for whatever comes next from Ms. Scott, who is now one of my all time favorite authors.

I received this book as a gift, and was unfamiliar with the author. However, the book was interesting and was a great read! I would recommend it to anyone, and I am definitely going to check out other books by Susan Holloway Scott.

I did not expect to like Louise de Keroualle. She was, after all, one of the Engligh King Charles II's mistresses and one of the most hated women of her time. In fact, I only chose this book because it is a historical romance, one of my true loves. The French Mistress by Susan Holloway Scott grabbed my interest from page one and held it through to the end. Scott does a phenomenal job of humanizing Louise de Keroualle, showing her as a likable, believable, and sympathetic character. No, I didn't expect to like The French Mistress. Instead, I loved it.

Louise was the daughter of a poor French nobleman, and she went to court at the age of 18 to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret. She quickly becomes Margaret's favorite companion, although she is unnoticed at court. She joins Margaret on a trip to England and catches the eye of King Charles II. After Margaret's suspicious death, King Louis realizes Louise's value and sends her to Charles II as a gift to smooth tensions. Louise is expected to please King Charles at all costs, as well as be a spy for France.

The French Mistress is an enjoyable and exhilarating portrayal of Restoration England as well as the flamboyant French court. It should not be missed.

by Jennifer Melville
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women